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From the home of the Warszawa came the 1967 Polski-Fiat, the Polish version of the Fiat 125, powered by an earlier generation of pushrod engines rather than the twin-cam unit found in the Italian original. By the mid '70s, the angular three-box styling of the 125P was looking dated and the Polonez was an attempt by the Poles to freshen the range with a contemporary-looking hatchback.
As a shape - designed with the help of Italian, American and British stylists - it had all the poise and elegance of a Portaloo. What's more, its creators rather missed the point of creating a practical hatchback by failing to give the Polonez rear seats that folded. The floorpan and mechanicals remained those of the 125P, so the Polonez delivered the same tardy, raucous and understeer-ridden driving experience.
Even for less than £3000, UK buyers expected something better, although a few were hoodwinked by the high levels of standard equipment that festooned the charmless, brittle interior. In short, the Polonez was landfill. Less honest than the obviously utilitarian 125P - or, indeed, the Lada Riva - it lingered on as an FSO-badged car until it slipped from the listings unnoticed in 1992. It certainly wasn't missed.
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